Pinner RFC Hosting Saracens RFC Summer Rugby Camps

Saracens Rugby Camp – Pinner RFC Thursday 9th August & Friday 10th August

Pinner RFC are teaming up again with Saracens this Summer to give you an opportunity to train with the 2010-2011 Aviva Premiership Champions.
Saracens will be holding a Two Day Skills Clinic at Pinner RFC and we encourage all Mini and Junior players to develop their rugby by attending this course. The camp, designed in consultation with the Saracens academy, is for young aspiring rugby players and will provide the perfect balance of fun, intensity, excitement and education, using modern training techniques, player focused sessions and development through game play.

A very competitive pricing structure is in place this season with a 10% online discount also available. It is recommended you book early to avoid disappointed.

To book your place or for further information, including course content and structure for and of the above courses please visit www.rugbycamps.com/saracens or call the Saracens community team on 01707 285 026.

Slough 7s Aarons first trophy or how was that possible!

This might be remembered as ‘how did we get our hands on a trophy!’

This was to be the magnificent return of Pinner to the Slough Festival, having been invited for the past two years and Aarons first time out as captain. However, whether due to inclement weather; boy did it chuck it down, the time of year, family (girlfriend) commitments or just apathy, a full squad as promised whittled down to a mere eight players, a shadow of what was expected to turn up and enjoy, what is, always a fun day of rugby, socialising and drinking (more on that as the report progresses!)

The theme of the day, was fancy dress – nothing changes, from the original ’super pinner heroes’ of yesteryear to the modern thinking ‘Go Pink’, all participated to differing degrees of Primark!

In the tournament booklet Pinner were described as:

Pinner RFC sevens side is a mixture of any one from the club who feels fit enough to play at the time of each tournament. This means that players of all abilities are included in the team… big burly front rowers to the nippy wingers. Which is why at times we can show brilliance on the pitch and sometimes a bit like headless chicken like. 7s are becoming ever more popular with the club as regularly Pinner are entering two sides in each tournament…… well reading between the lines; who turns up plays, we still play 15 aside rugby, average age has got to be over 30oh and of course we must look ridiculous at all times especially if we have a tipple or two or three!

The pool in which Pinner landed itself into was a mixed bag:

The Met Police, Ernst & Young, Friends of Kenya and Woking College Old Boys

Now to be frank, Met Police were after a fight from the whistle, Ernst & Young fit, young as the name implies, quick and keen with a dashing rugby kit, Friends of Kenya; really? all were related Usain Bolt- watching them pass was basically a blur. Woking College Old Boys; how old, younger than our youngest player and not particularly good really.

Ok a quick rundown of the matches:

1st Game – couple of lagers down –  Met Police, started fairly well with Aaron scoring a try and converting it, Met then went on to score 2 tries and converted them both. Ollie then with a breakaway run scored a try for Pinner, which unfortunately was not converted. Met then goes onto score three more tries, converting all three. At this point, fatigue had already reared its ugly head, but the boys kept on trying especially in the breakdowns, winning most rucks and mauls as the game continued. And would you believe it, a Met Police player getting a yellow card, well that was a surprise! Especially in the opening exchanges of the first half one of the opposition ‘dared’ Razzell to ‘have a go’ at him, Mark, in his usual well mannered way laughed it off and smiled at him.

2nd Game: More lagers, and an incredible down pour leaving everyone soaked to the skin. Friends of Kenya, basically no match against the ultra fit and fast group of athletes (not Pinner in this case!). Pinner scored one try and I think, can’t quite recall FoK scored at least 4. Game played in very good spirit, especially as Laney had turned up in flip flops (no understanding of wet weather despite being from the land of permanent rainfall – Wales, for those who do not know) with the half time drink – Jagermeister, duly drank by the team

3rd Game: Ernst & Young – by this time Pinner were down to 7 players, no subs available, the rain had effected the reporters writing implements, paper was soggy, pen was flooded and the game went as expected, Pinner, despite some valiant work, especially in close contact situations were out run by the opposition and to top it all, our passing was fairly comical

4th Game: oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, this wasn’t going to be our finest hour, with Reza not sure which end of his body was leak first, suffering with food poisoning (I leave that to deduce what the outcome might be), luckily he found a wheelie bin pitch side and proceeded to fill it. Warren, in the warm up – yes they did warm up, dislocated two fingers and with no tape about bound them with a pink hair band – this later came back on him, as during the game they were ‘knocked out’ again, whilst asking Fred and Dave to pull them and put them right, a very young opposition player watched on, turning extremely pale asked Does it hurt? Gee join the dots. For the first time in what appeared to be an eternity, Pinner actually played really well, and if honest, had a couple of subs available would have won comfortably, however this was not the case, another loss.

By the magic of tournament rugby the next part was very weird.  Pinner, at this stage had played 4 lost 4, beer time was called, Pimms, Cider and an assortment of other beverages. The team relaxed and got themselves ready for the evening entertainment.

The tournament organisers had other plans, was it favouritism, was it spite or was it purely a mix up? Pinner had got a by to the final , oh dear.

The final: Pinner v Quintin

Pinner, have in the past played Quintin in the Middx/Herts league and have always performed well against them.

Fuelled on a mixture of drinks, lack of match fitness, being knackered, having no subs available,  playing 15s rugby instead of the rehearsed 7s game……. well you can probably guess, they lost, having the half time cider didn’t help.

Strangely, Pinner came back with a trophy, this, hopefully will be the first of many for Aaron.

Post match: further drinking, banter and socialising with opponents, what could be better… next year no drinking, we either go to win or go for a laugh, the feeling I got was that was the last time Pinner would embarrass themselves on a pitch at this tournament, roll on next year hic

Pinner Olympics – Club Open Day Saturday 18th August 2012

Saturday 18th August

Pinner Rugby Open Day

Hello to all members old and new of Pinner Rugby Club!

The 1st social event of the new season is upon us and I want to make it a whole club affair. By getting everyone together I hope to get us all excited for the season ahead and for us all to start becoming closer rather than a seniors section and minis section etc etc….. Absolutely anyone is welcome; grab all your mates family friends and anyone who might want to join a new club or even want to start playing rugby whether they are 5 or 55! lets get the beers flowing and the laughs rolling as we will have:

1) Pinner Olympics – £10 entry Per person this gets you a free beer and the trophy if you win! Grab your best/worst fancy dress outfit and come and compete in the annual games which include dizzee rascal (everyone’s fave) to the ultimate dance off!

2) Middlesex rugby bus - https://www.middlesexrugby.com/Community/MiddlesexBus/

3) karaoke- good singers bad singers and drunk singers all welcome!

4) The usual BBQ bouncy castle and fun and games for the youngsters.

5) Cross-bar challenge

Lets all do our best to get everyone down and get the season off to a good start.